Our 52^nd Annual Dinner was a special night honoring the people and companies that make DCA the great organization it is. John McMahon was the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. After 29 years of leading DCA, being the strongest of advocates for the construction industry, and still an important part of the construction community, it was a well-deserved recognition. The recipient of the Richard P. DiSabatino, Sr. Award for outstanding service to DCA went to Jim Ruggiero, EDIS, who is the example of a great DCA Committee Chair and leader in our organization.

After two years of service, Mike Peet’s, ModernControls, presidency comes to an end. At the outset of his term, Mike identified two issues areas he wanted to focus on during his presidency and he moved us forward on both. He kept DCA ever focused on the workforce challenges our members face and the need to constantly look for ways to help young people see the opportunities the skilled trades offer. He showed he “walks the walk” by bringing NCCVT student’s interning with his company up on stage with him during his speech. Mike’s other goal during his presidency was to improve DCA’s use of technology. ModernControls was very generous in its support of DCA’s establishment of a sophisticated MS Teams virtual office system being installed in the boardroom. In addition to these goals, Mike’s term oversaw an update of DCA’s bylaws and DCA’s implementation of its first Association Membership System all while navigating some tricky legislative policy issues impacting the construction industry.

As you know, DCA has put energy into reducing the disproportionate toll the opioid crisis takes on our industry’s employees. We are certainly far from solving this issue, but I am very proud that I have seen positive changes in the discussion among our members along with them taking initiative to face the challenges. Because of our work and commitment to reducing addiction and overdose among our workforce, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services presented a certificate of appreciation to DCA during the dinner.

Our keynote speaker, Anthony Munoz, Pro Bowl Hall of Fame member and recipient of virtually every possible NFL honor for an offensive lineman, was a down to earth guy who delivered a message of overcoming obstacles to reach your goals. Something our members face every day in their projects. We could not have speakers like this were it not for the support of the Annual Dinner’s sponsors.

A special thank you is extended to our CEA award judges for their time and expertise: Jeff Bross, Verdantas, LLC; Bill Holloway, Bernardon; and Jeff Miller, Christiana Care. Congratulations to the 20 recipients of DCA’s 2022 Construction Excellence Awards! They are the best of the best bringing innovative solutions to complex projects.